ARCHAEOASTRONOMY AT JACANA, PUERTO RICO: EVALUATING THE

EVIDENCE FROM THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS

Angel Rodriguez

Some 800 years ago, the prehistoric inhabitants of the Northern Caribbean, the Taino
people built large, and precisely planned ceremonial centers, one of which contained the
largest such structures in the Antilles up to the present. Such accomplishments reflect a
tangible knowledge manifested in the architectural design and by related symbols or
petroglyphs - carved images on boulders that outline these center’s structures. The
distinctive architectural designs of these structures, ball courts or ceremonial plazas,
called batey, by their builders suggests that they were intentionally aligned toward
specific astronomical events.

During the time 1990 to 2006, two elaborate petroglyph boulders were observed in
different locations on the surface of the prehistoric Jacana Site (local identification PO-
29), along the Portugues River, a major south coastal river in the Municipality of Ponce,
Puerto Rico. As a result of these findings, extensive archaeological data recovery
excavations took place between 2006 and 2007 by Espenshade (2010) as part of the
Portugues and Bucana Flood Protection Project that was sponsored by the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District. Results revealed a rectangular plaza or ball-
court (40m X 50m) bordered on its four sides with aligned boulders. Some of these
boulders had petroglyphs on them or rock art. Most of the engraved boulders were in the
north wall, followed by the west and south walls. In this paper, the focus is on the
analysis of the data that was recovered during the excavations and how that data is
relevant to archaeoastronomy. The discussion primarily involves the relations of the
astronomical alignments of the ball court and its petroglyphs with the seasonal cycles
and the symbolic meaning of the rock art in an astronomical context.

Many studies have pointed out the role
played by the Milky Way and the Pleiades
in the cultures of many societies around
the world such as: Tamra Andres
(2004:97,1998:47) in general, and more
specificaly: Anthony F. Aveni (1980:57),
Mesoamerica; Gary Urton (1981:113),
Clive Ruggles (2005:267), Kelley and
Milone (2011:466), Quechua; Edmundo
Magaña (2006:54-55), Quechua-Aymara;
Ann Bingham (2004:84-85), Quechua and
Maya; Susan Milbrath (1999:55-56),
Maya; Fabiola Jara (2000:137) and
William Curtis Farabee (1967:102),
Arawaks, Walter E. Roth (1915:260),
Guyana Indians; Gerardo Reichel-
Dolmatoff (1971:98), Tukano; Domingo
Sánchez (2003:281, Warao) and Edwin L.
Barnhart (1994) on Inca (Quechua),
Tukano, Maya, Aztec, Apache, Pawnee,
Cheyenne, Soiux, Shoshone, Seneca and
Kwatkiutl.
According to Owen Gingerich
(1982: 334), ethnoastronomers emphasize
the key role played by the Milky Way in
the primitive cosmologies of the tropics.
The densest part of the Milky Way rides
high in the heavens and it is the most

1
striking feature of the night sky. Also, a
second celestial marker that has a unique
appearance in the night sky and therefore
can not be mistakenly identified as first
magnitude stars are the Pleiades Star
Cluster. The 29th site registered with the
Puerto Rico State Historic Preservation
Office (SHPO) in the Municipality of
Ponce, in South-Central Puerto Rico, is
now commonly referred to as Jacana. In
the 1980's, the site was surveyed in the
watershed of the Portugues River by
Oakley and Solis Magaña (1990); Solis
Magaña (1985) and Pantel (1978). These
early reports suggested a pre-Columbian
ballcourt (batey) or ceremonial plaza in
the area (Figure 1). Prior to these surveys,
a petroglyph boulder was removed from
its original location and planted in the
backyard of a local person according to
Oakley and Solis Magaña (1990:60-66).
Between 1990 and 2006, two elaborate
petroglyph boulders were observed in
separate locations on the surface of this
Figure 1. Illustration by J. Loubser (2013).
2
site. These boulders suggested that others
might be buried somewhere else on the
site. The full extent and complexity of the
site with its petroglyphs far exceeded
expectations, as demonstrated by New
South Associates Phase III data recovery
during 2006-2007 at the site (Johannes
Loubser, 2010:323). The company was
hired by the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers (USACOE), Jacksonville
District (Jacksonville District) to conduct
archaeological investigations in order to
mitigate the adverse effects related to the
proposed construction of the Portugues
Dam Flood Control Project (Christopher
T. Espenshade, 2013:10). Excavations
revealed a rectangular ball-court (40
×50m) (Figure 2) bordered on four sides
by a total of 284 aligned boulders, 26 of
which have petroglyphs. Most petroglyphs
came from the North Wall (n= 13),
followed by the West Wall (n= 6) and
South Wall (n= 6).
Figure 2. Astronomical aligments at the Jacana Ball-court. Plan view originally
taken from Loubser (2010:324) and modified by Angel Rodriguez (2013).

The iconography of the Jacaná on a 40 x 50 meter ball-court or

ball-court petroglyphs are reminiscent of
those found at two multi-court complexes,
nearby Tibes (also in the Municipality of
Ponce) and Caguana (Municipality of
Utuado) in Central-Western portion of the
island (Johannes Loubser, 2010:323).
Two major Pre-Columbian
components were revealed at the site,
Jacana-2 and Jacana -4. In the Jacana-2
span (A.D. 600-900), the site contained
numerous houses, thick midden deposits,
human burials in and below the middens,
a small midden mound, and possibly a
batey or plaza. During Jácana-4 times
(circa A.D. 1300-1500), the site centered
ceremonial plaza, which was bordered on
all four sides by rows of rock slabs and
boulders (Christopher T Espenshade,
2013:10). As a result, the Jacana Site
belongs to the late prehistoric and early
protohistoric period which was occupied
by the Taino Indians, belonging to the
Arawak culture of South America.
According to Rodríguez (2010:57-
58), the Taino people were observers of
the night sky and could noticed that the
sunrise of the Sun (during the solstices
and equinoxes), and other stars at certain
times of the year coincided with the
seasons and thus could predict seasonal

3
changes with relative accuracy. For
example: the heliacal rising of the
Pleiades Star Cluster during May
indicated heavy rainfall, the sunrise
during the Autumn Equinox could be
associated with the final phase of the
hurricane season and the rise of the
Constellation of Ursa Major in January
after sunset coincides with a decrease in
rainfall. As a result, the Taino people
could use the astronomical events as
Figure 3. Position of the Milky way under Jacana on May until sunset. Plan
view originally taken from Loubser (2010:324) and modified by Angel
Rodriguez (2013).
Jacana site: A brief description
The Portugues is a major South-flowing
river that empties into the Caribbean Sea
4
celestial markers to select the most
favorable season in which to farm, fish
and exploit different resources of the
ecosystem. The present paper attempts to
develop the connections among the
movement of the Milky Way, the heliacal
rising of the Pleiades and the annual
cycles of the rainy and dry seasons over
the sky of Jacana (Figure 3) with the
symbolic meaning of the rock art in an
astronomical context.
through the Bucana River in the city of
Ponce along the South-central coast of
Puerto Rico. Jacana is at 18° 04' 33'' N
and 66 º 38' 02'' W (Municipality of
Ponce) on the Northern Bank of the
Portugués River. The elevation above sea
level is 485 feet (148 meters). The area
was visited for this paper on November
16, 2012 under the guidance of Isaac A.
Rosario Santiago, Project Engineer US
Army Corps of Engineers. The elevation
of the horizon was measured using an
Abney Inclinometer and a compass.
Results indicate that the Eastern Horizon
has an elevation of 15 º, Southern Horizon
has an elevation of 10º and the Northern
Horizon has an elevation of 15º. Also, the
coordinates on site were taken using a
Magellan Sportrack GPS.
The climate of the Ponce
Municipality is tropical, but modified by
the trade winds and by the land and sea
breezes. The Ponce Municipality as a
whole has less rainfall than other parts of
Puerto Rico. In fact, the extreme
Southwest corner of this district borders
on aridity. The mountains along the
Northern part received a copious supply
of moisture from the sudden downpours
which appear to be common in the area
between June to September (Mitchell,
1922:232).
The tropical vegetation in most of
the higher mountains forms a tangled
mass. However, the mountains` slopes are
not so heavily coated with plant growth,
and some are mostly barren. Also, the
present drainage is divided among 15
streams and their tributaries. The Eastern
part of the area is drained by eight
principal rivers that are: Jacaguas,
Tallaboa, Guayanilla, Bucana, Inabon,
Portugues, Canas, Yauco and Susua.
These rivers, whose headwaters are in the
mountains to the North, consist of the
main streams that traverse the region.
Most of these rivers are intermittent
streams. Even the larger rivers, few of
them rarely maintain a constant flow to
the sea, and are subject to torrential
overflows or reduced to stream channels
5
during low water levels (Mitchell
1922:237-38).
Astronomy at the Jacana site.
For the present study, we used the Jacana
plan view (Figure 2) published in
Loubser (2010:324). The plan view was
made from the transit data, and later it was
georeferenced in GIS to known land
marks such as the roads, river and the like.
The data and map in GIS were projected
in NAD 1983 UTM Zone 19 North
according to David Diener (personal
communication, May 23, 2013), GIS
Specialist at New South. In order to
determine the alignments of the ballcourt
walls on the Jacana Plan View, we
employed the method used by Rodriguez
(2008A:25) using parallel and straight
rules. First, a meanline was drawn along
the walls of the structure using a straight
rule. Secondly, the direction of True
North (0º degrees) was transported and
intersected with each meanline drawn
along the walls or sides of the structure
using the parallel rule. Finally, on the
point of intersection between both lines
(the lines drawn using both rules), a
circular protractor was placed to measure
the angles between both lines. Originally,
most of the walls of these plazas on
Puerto Rico were almost straight, and
made-up of lined boulders or rock slabs.
However, weather phenomenon like
hurricanes, river floods, rain and human
activity have misaligned them. Based on
the Jacana Plan View (taken from Loubser
(2010:324), it seems that only the South
Wall has been disturbed. In addition, we
employed the computer programs:
CyberSky by (Schimpf, 1995-2009) and
Culture Diff (2013) in this study. The base
year of 1400 AD was used for all our
astronomical calculations because is the
median value for the Jacana -4 time span.
 Milky Way and the Pleiades. The
Milky Way was considered by many
groups to be a celestial snake, a heavenly
river or a road of clouds in the heavens
according to Bingham (2004:84). Over the
skies of the Antilles, certain stars on the
Milky Way were important for the ancient
Taino people because they could have
served as seasonal indicators for the dry
and rainy season. The most important of
all was the Pleiades which marked the
rainy season. Rodriguez (2008A:233) in
his study of the alignment of the
ballcourts and ceremonial plazas on the
Antilles has found that the walls of some
of these structures were intentionally
aligned toward the heliacal rise of the
Pleiades. At Jacana, the Pleiades rises
heliacally on May, 29 according to the
program Culture Diff (2013). Also the
date of this astronomical event coincides
with an increase in the rainfall for the
West Indies and indicates the coming of
the Summer Solstice (June 21).
Results at Jacana indicate that the
North and South walls (Figure 2) were
aligned toward the heliacal rising of the
Pleiades on May 29 that occurs at an
azimuth of 64º. A similar alignment was
reported by Rodriguez (2008A:214) on
Plaza B at the prehistoric site of Caguana,
in the Municipality of Utuado. Also, the
petroglyphs along the West Wall at Jacana
are aligned toward this astronomical event
(Figure 2). Additionally, Scorpius and the
Pleiades are visible on opposed regions in
the sky on May 29 at Jacana. While the
Pleiades rise heliacally at 64º, Scorpius set
at 235º before sunrise. Both astronomical
events coincided with the heaviest period
of rain for Puerto Rico according to
Rodriguez (2008A:262). It is important to
point out that by May (Figure 3), most
parts of the Milky Way remain under the
horizon until sunset according to the
program CyberSky (1995-2009). The
6
Milky Way stretched approximately from
Cassiopea to Canis Major or about 100º of
celestial space. At Jacana, we found a
relation between water during the rainy
season and rise of the Milky Way in the
Sky after sunset on May. The emergence
of the Milky Way (Figure 3) from
beneath the horizon into the night sky
could have been associated by the ancient
Taino people with an increase of
atmospheric moisture that announced the
approach of rain. In order to understand
the basic system we have described, we
have only to combine it with the account
compiled by Ramon Pane (Roman Paner).
Accompanying Columbus on his second
voyage to the New World in 1494 was a
Catalan friar named Ramón Pané (Roman
Paner). Columbus assigned Pane to live
among the Taino people that were
recently “discovered” on the island of
Hispaniola (today the island shared by
Haiti and the Dominican Republic), to
learn their language, and to write a record
of their lives and beliefs. Pane in Gaylord
(1906: 318-338) pointed out that
according to the natives, incipient
humanity came from a cave in a mythic
mountain, and also the sun and the moon.
The sea and its creatures came to be when
a gourd broke open. In keeping with this
image, the ancient Taino saw their world
as a Universe Womb or the notion that the
reproductive anatomy of a woman
replicates into the structure of their
Primordial Universe. As a result, Incipient
Humanity was housed and protected in the
Womb of Mother Earth (Mother Earth
embodied in Itiba Tahuuaua in the Pane
(in Gaylord (1906:323) account and
metaphorphized in a womb-cave called
Cacibagiagua (Pane in Gaylord
(1906:320). From Cacibagiagua, Incipient
Humanity emerged to populate the rivers
and valleys of the Antilles. Within the
Taino perception of their Primordial
Universe, nourishment came through the
flow of a Universe (Cosmic) River. We
pointed out that at Jacana, the Universe
River is symbolized by the Milky Way in
the night sky and represented on earth on
the Portugues River. According to
Rodriguez (2009), the ancient Taíno view
the world enveloped in a continuous river
or sea, in which the Celestial Waters
above mix with the earthly ones below on
the horizon. As a result, the heavenly
bodies move on the night sky in the
Celestial Waters and during the day in the
Cosmic Sea below (Figure 4). At Jacana,
there is a metaphor in this cosmic
circulation of water between the Milky
Figure 4. Taino wordview based on the Pane's account. Angel Rodriguez (2013).
North Wall: As mentioned before,
North and South walls were aligned
intentionally toward the heliacal rising of
the Pleiades on May 29 (Figure 2).
However, petroglyphs along the North
7
Way and the clouds during the rainy
season (May); it could be seen as the river
of clouds in the sky feeds the Milky Way
underneath before sunrise (Figure 3). At
the same time, the Milky Way as a
Cosmic River feeds the water flow of the
Portugués River during this period, and
the Portugues' waters flows into the sea.
In this way, the celestial river of clouds,
the Milky Way as a Cosmic River beneath
acts in concert to feed the Portugués River
and recycle water. As a result, water is the
medium element because cycled through
the three components: clouds, Milky Way
and the Portugues River.
Wall are facing 150º. These motives are
generally aligned toward the heliacal
rising of the Southern Cross (Crux) before
sunrise on November 7 according to the
program Culture Diff (2013). The
Southern Cross at Jacana rises at
approximately 157º and stretched 5º of
celestial space from Becrux (160º) to
Acruz (165º). In his study of the
astronomical alignments of the pre-
Columbian ballcourts of the Antilles,
Rodriguez (2008A:247) found that the
Southwest entrance of Plaza 6 at the
ancient site of Tibes in Ponce is aligned
toward the setting of the Southern Cross
(Crux). Both alignments at Jacana and
Plaza 6 at Tibes are not supported by the
ethnological evidence up to the present.
South Wall. The petroglyphs
along the South Wall (Figure 2) are
facing 330º. These images are facing the
setting of Ursa Major at the end of
September in the evening sky over Jacana
after sunset. This astronomical event
coincides within the period of greatest
hurricane frequency for the Antilles
according to Rodriguez (2008A:265). A
similar alignment was reported by
Rodriguez (2008A:205) on Plaza 9 at the
nearby prehistoric site of Tibes.
East Wall. East Wall is aligned
321º toward the setting of Ursa Major at
the end of September in the evening sky
over Jacana after sunset. However, the
inner faces of the boulders along East
Wall (Figure 2) are facing the heliacal
setting of Scorpius at 235º. This
astronomical event occurs on October 20
according to the program Culture Diff
(2013). Scorpius sets before sunrise at
approximately 235º and stretched 30º of
celestial space from Sargas (216º) to
Graffias (246º) stars. This astronomical
event is associated with a minor increase
in rainfall or a second rainy season
according to Rodriguez (2008A:260).
According to Pane in Gaylord
(1906: 325), the Taino indians of
Hispaniola.
8
“. . And further
they say that the sun and
the moon came out of a
cave which is situated in
the country of a cacique
named Maucia Tiuuel and
the name of the cave is
Giouuouaua” (Iouaboina
in Peter Martyr).
Herrera y Tordesillas (1725-26:86)
mentioned for the natives of Hispaniola
that the Sun and the Moon came from a
cave called Iouobaba. Further, Robiou
Lamarche (2000:12-13), suggests that the
name of this mythical cave is Iguanaboina
(Great Serpent, a mytheme rooted in
similar Amazonian myths) and it could be
represented by the constellation of
Scorpius. Hatt (1941:185) established the
symbolical connection of the snake with
rain and pointed out that this belief must
once have existed in the Antilles. He
noted the cultural practice in which the
Guiana Indians used the snake in rain
magic. Also, among the Kogi Indians of
Colombia, Scorpius is a snake called
Tarbi (Juan Mayr, 1987:62). When the
head of Scorpius, Kwawar, the anaconda
appears, it foretells the coming of the
December rains among the Central
Arawaks according to Curtis Farabee
(1967:102). Also, for the Antillean
Caribs, the close neighbors of the Island
Arawaks (Taino people), this constellation
was idealized as a Celestial Serpent called
Bakámo (Sebastian Robiou Lamarche,
1997:282). This evidence suggests that
among the Taino people, Scorpius could
represent the Celestial Snake Iguanaboina
associated with a mythical cave that bears
the same name. Hence, the East Wall
(Figure 2) at Jacana may be associated
with the realm of Iguanaboina, Scorpius
and the second rainy season.
West Wall. West Wall is aligned
331º toward the setting of Ursa Major at
the end of September in the evening sky
over Jacana after sunset. In general, most
of the petroglyphs along the West Wall
(Figure 2) are generally aligned in the
same direction as the North and South
Walls or toward the heliacal rising of the
Pleiades, with the exception of the
enclosed body image on the rear of
Boulder 57. However, it is important to
mention that these motives are generally
aligned toward other astronomical events
such as: the sunrise during the Summer
Solstice at 65º on June 21; and the second
Zenith Passage at 68º on July 23. As a
result, the rock art along West Wall is
generally aligned toward both
astronomical events as well. Based on
environmental factors described by
Mitchell (1922:232) for this region such
as: aridity, little rain and barren
vegetation, we advocate the view that the
main reason for the ancient builders for
aligning the Jacana ballcourt was with
rain and as a result the main alignment
was toward the heliacal rising of the
Pleiades.
Iconographic Analysis at Jacana
Drawing on ethnohistorical
accounts during the protohistoric Taino
9
contact period, modern South America
native religious belief and anthropological
studies on art and ritual, Loubster (2009)
offers a comprehensive iconographic
analysis and interpretation of the site.
North Wall. Of the four ball court
walls at Jacana (Figure 2), the North wall
has the most abundant petroglyphs and
also the heaviest boulders. Loubster
(2009:24), numbered the 29 boulders
along this wall from East to West.
According to him, 13 of these boulders
have definite peck marks and one has
natural features that resembles an owl.
Only 9 boulders have unequivocal
depiction of faces. Moreover, this wall is
the only one where boulders with
opposing faces on opposite ends (5
boulders) are evident. Possible cemis or
spiritual being motifs occur on 7 boulders
that could have been the possible pervue
or providance of caciques or Taino chiefs.
Loubster (2009:140,144) points out this
wall is the domain of the cacique, and that
is unique in terms of rock material
because it is the only wall with limestone.
According to a former property owner and
occupant of a house north of the site, there
is a solitary boulder in a secondary
context that was inserted into the rip-rap
immediately east of the unpaved
road which intersects with the main
asphalt-covered road. In terms of its
shape, size, and contents, this boulder
most probably came from North Wall
very likely somewhere in the vicinity of
Boulder 29 (Loubster, 2009:130). This
boulder has petroglyphs on three sides.
Most of them are simple faces that
according to Hatt Gudmund (1941:179)
are representations of the deceased.
Figure 5. Petroglyphs Types for Puerto Rico according to (2008B:347-348).

The North Wall (Figure 2) contains almost all the types in the classificatory scheme
(Figure 5) for Puerto Rican petroglyphs advanced by Rodriguez (2008B) ranging from
simple faces to squatting anthrozoomorphic figures:

Wall Petroglyph style according Wall Petroglyph style according Rodriguez

Rodriguez (2008B:347-348) (2008B:347-348)
NW2 Natural feature that resembles an NW19 Simple (IA) and developed faces (IB)
owl
NW5 Squatting Anthropomorphic NW20 Simple faces
Figure (IG)
NW6 Developed faces (IB) NW21 Simple (IA), developed (IB) and
complex faces (IC)
NW7 Simple (IA) and developed faces NW24 Simple faces (IA)
(IB)
NW8 Simple (IA) and developed faces NW27 Simple faces (IA)
(IB)
NW9 Squatting Anthropomorphic NW28 Developed faces (IB)
Figure (IG)
NW17 Developed faces (IB) NW29 Simple faces (IA)

10
Figure 6. Artist's rendition of the Beheaded Squatting Anthropomorphic motive on
North Wall at Jacana.
Due to time constraints, we focus our
attention on the rotated head or beheaded
anthro-zoomorphic motif (Figure 6) on
boulder NW9 because among all the
motifs on North Wall it is the most
elaborated of the known petroglyphs at
Jacana according to Loubster (2009:46).
Also, it is important to emphasize that this
image is unique among the rock art
designs reported for Puerto Rico. This
motif may represent a mythical tradition
of an earlier period rooted in the ancient
Amazonian mythical corpus, and whose
meaning may be maybe lost in time and
not recorded by Pane or any other
explorer.
Among the Guianas and the
Orinoco valley, Magaña (1987:41, 43, 53,
79, 187) reported that there is a
widespread mytheme [the essential
component of a myth and a bridge
between myths according to Lévi-Strauss
11
(1955)] among the Wayana, Tareño and
Kaliña Indians regarding an old mother-
in-law that looses her head like the
beheaded anthrozoomorphic figure
(NW9). In other myths, the lost head
becomes a constellation in the skies
(Magaña (1987:87).
In other similar myths compiled by
Magaña (1987:245) among the Guianas
Indians, the mother-in-law is substituted
by an old step-frogmother. In this Kaliña
myth, a woman gets pregnant from the
sun and as a result a conflict arises among
her brothers accusing each other of incest.
They threatened to kill her, but the girl
flees to the forest and meets an old-toad
woman that gives her shelter. As the old
woman is married to evil bird, the frog
woman hid the girl into a kasili jar
(cassava fermented drink). After several
months, the girl gives birth to twins. The
old frog woman no longer can hide the
girl that is then devoured by the evil bird.
However, old frog woman manages to
save the twins. When they grew up, the
old frog woman told them that her mother
was eaten by a nocturnal bird, but she
does not reveal the bird's identity. The
twins went in search of the murderer bird
and during their quest, they find a bird
who fears for his life. This bird tells the
real murderer's identity. As a result, the
twins killed Evil Bird and Old Frog
stepmother. In addition, there is another
version of the same mytheme in which a
pregnant woman gets lost in the forest
despite the fact that the twins in her womb
tell her where to go. She arrives to a
jungle village where the Old Frog woman
Kunawaru hid her from the Jaguar.
However, the Jaguar found the woman
and eats her. One day, the twins
discovered the truth about their past and
killed the Jaguar and Old Frog stepmother
Kunawaru.
The ancestors of the Tainos known
as Saladoid originated in the Orinoco-
Guiana region of South America, arriving
in Puerto Rico around A. D. 250
according to Rouse (1992:30-31, 52). As a
result, their myths are rooted in the South
American tradition of the Guianas. Pane
(in Gaylord, 1906:323) on Chapter IX of
his account mentioned that: . . . there
came four sons of a woman whose name
was Itiba Tahuuaua, all from one womb
and twins; and this woman having died in
travail they opened her and drew out
these four sons,. . . In this myth as
metaphor, Itiba Tahuuaua, represents
Mother Earth and the four twins the four
quarters of the world. Just one of the four
sons has a name: Caracaracol.
As observed by Rodriguez (2011:
82), among the Taino people, there were
different versions of the same mytheme
like the one reported by Pane (in Gaylord,
1906:324) in Chapter XI about opening
12
the back of a culture hero (Caracaracol)
with an ax and a living turtle came out
from the wound. A variant of this
mytheme is represented on the
pictographs in Sanabe Cave, Dominican
Republic. In one pictograph, Caracaracol
is represented as a turtle-man, however
one of his brothers is portrayed as Cobo
man (rounded shoulder and a somewhat
low conical form shell from the species,
Citarrium pica). This detail was never
reported in Pane’s account. The
ethnological evidence mentioned above
suggests that the rotated-beheaded frog
woman at Jacana represents a myth
similar to that reported by Magaña
(1987:245) from Guiana in which
Caracaracol beheaded his old-toad
steptmother. In addition, we propose here
that at Jacana the head of old-frog
stepmother (Figure 6) becomes the
constellation of the Southern Cross.
However, this remains an interpretation
subject to further investigation.
South Wall. Loubster (2009; 112,
127) numbered the boulders along the
South Wall (Figure 2) from East to West.
Of these, just 5 have definite signs of
pecking and one has natural features that
resemble a face. Only one boulder (South
Wall 134) has definite petroglyphs
depictions of faces (2 simple faces
opposing each other). As a result, South
Wall rock art is less elaborated and
abundant than those along the North Wall.
Loubster (2009; 112-127) observed that
most of the petroglyphs along this wall are
cupule or circular pit clusters and faces
that are of the Simple Face Type
according to Rodriguez (2008B: 347).
The rock art along South Wall is
facing 330º or toward the setting of Ursa
Major at the end of September in the
evening sky over Jacana after sunset. This
astronomical event coincides within the
period of greatest hurricane frequency for
the Antilles. Pane in Gaylord (1906:333) or hurricane motifs like faces with flailing
mentioned the following regarding the appendages or the same type of figures
hurricane deity: And when Guabancex is described by Ortiz (1947). However this is
angry, they say, that she raises the wind not the case, and as a result it is hard to
and brings rain, and throws down houses relate the astronomical evidence,
and shakes the trees. Based on the hurricane season and the rock art on South
astronomical data, it is expected that this Wall.
wall will show depictions of Guabancex

Figure 7. Serpent-Like North Wall of Plaza A at Caguana, Utuado. Puerto Rico. At

the back is oval-shaped Plaza C (photo: Angel Rodriguez Alvarez).

East Wall. According to Loubster
(2009:130,143), the East Wall (Figure 2)
probably has no petroglyphs, just some
natural markings on one boulder that
resemble two eyes. Of all walls, the
boulders of the East Wall, are the most
uniform in shape and color and mostly
13
have round edges and gray surfaces. The
description mentioned above fits very well
for the North Wall (Figure 7) of Plaza A
at Caguana. The rock slabs along North
Wall at Plaza A are also uniform in shape
and color, and resembles a giant snake
with its head and tail. Maybe it is
reminiscent of the mythical snake
Iguanaboina mentioned above.
West Wall. Loubster (2009;
82,141) numbered the boulders along the
West Wall (Figure 2) from North to
South. Wrapped or enclosed body
representations are limited to the West
Wall. The two wrapped body figures
(Boulder #28 and rear of Boulder # 57)
together with an aborted stone collar
suggest that this wall deals with departed
opia or spirits of the dead. Frasseto
(1960:386) called the wrapped figure
motifs, Swaddled Infant Type (Figure 5,
Type IF). She described these motifs as
zoomorphic images with rounded sacked
limbless bodies, the ears often
exaggerated, and rounded sacked bottoms.
According to her, these motifs occur
frequently in the Eastern part of Puerto
Rico. This zoomorphic type represents
bats that are associated with the
underworld (caves), the afterlife and as
messengers of spirits of the dead (opias).
Also, they are always associated with
water streams and were carved facing
down stream. At Jacana, the Swaddled
Infant Type of Eastern Puerto Rico
(Figure 5, Type IF) is represented as a
less elaborated motive “Jacana Style”.
According to Pane (in Gaylord,
1906:331), the ancient Tainos believed in
a place after life called Coiabai that was
ruled by Machetaurie-Guaiaua
(Maquetaurie Guayaba in Serrano y Sanz
(1932), “who was lord of this Coaibai”.
Macorix stone heads are believed to
represent the lord of the Coaibai because
the similarity to a human skull
(Rodríguez, 2011:100-11). Most of the
faces along West Wall have eyes (deep
and rounded) similar to the Macorix
heads.
Despite the fact that most of the
petroglyphs are on the West Wall, they
are facing East toward the rising Sun
14
(Figure 2), with exception of the enclosed
body image on the rear of Boulder # 57
that faced the sunset. Among the Tukano
of South America, a congnate group to the
Taino, the mythical place where the dead
goes is called Ahpikondia or Paradise. It is
a place under the Earth. On the side where
the sun rises on Ahpikondia, there is a
large lake that receives its water from the
rivers of earth flowing eastwards. On the
side where the sun sets, is found the Dark
Place, a region where it is always night
and a place of evil (Reichel-Dolmatoff,
1971:25). Based on the Tukano myth, it is
possible to conclude that West Wall and
its motifs represent the underworld of
Coaibai, a place where the sun disappears
in the underworld. Considering the above
mentioned ethnographic data, it seems
that the original intention of the ancient
builders at Jacana was to align most of the
petroglyphs along West Wall toward the
sunrise during the Summer Solstice, and
the image of the deceased on the rear of
Boulder # 57 toward the sunset of this
astronomical event.
CONCLUSIONS
The theme of this article has been
primarily cognitive, the underlying
interplay between relevant archaeological
and ethnographic material based on
astronomical data. Finally, it is possible to
conclude, based on the evidence discussed
above, that:
1. The site of Jacana in Ponce, Puerto
Rico, lies in a region of the island
that received less rainfall than
other island areas, and at some
locations borders on aridity
according to Mitchell (1922:232).
As a result, the main concern of
the ancient builders of Jacana may
have been water procurement, and
 they aligned the main axis of the
ballcourt toward the heliacal rising
of the Pleiades on May 29.
2. By May, the Milky Way remains
under the horizon and rises after
sunset possibly conceived as a
celestial river. The emergence of
the Milky Way during this time of
the year might have been
associated with the approach of
rain.
3. North Wall: The rock art along
North Wall is facing Southeast at
150º toward the heliacal rising of
the Southern Cross before sunrise
on November 7 according to the
program Culture Diff (2013). This
alignment’s symbolic meaning
cannot be interpreted at present
because the lack of ethnological
evidence. Among the rock
petroglyphs, we focused our
attention on NW 9, the rotated-
beheaded frog woman because it is
the most elaborated petroglyph at
Jacana. The ethnological evidence
presented by Magaña (1987) in
relation to this image pointed
toward a mytheme rooted in an
ancient Amazonian tradition.
4. South Wall: The rock art along
South Wall is facing 330º or
toward the setting of Ursa Major at
the end of September in the
evening sky over Jacana after
sunset. This astronomical event
coincides within the period of
greatest hurricane frequency for
the Antilles. Based on the
astronomical data, it was expected
that this wall would show
depictions of Guabancex or
hurricane motifs. However this
was not the case, and as a result it
is hard to relate the astronomical
evidence with hurricane seasons
15
and the symbolic meaning of the
rock art.
5. East Wall: The most striking
feature of East Wall is that it is
almost devoid of rock art motives,
just some markings that resemble
two eyes. Also, the boulders are
uniform in shape and color
suggesting a giant snake
(Iguanaboina) with its two eyes.
In addition. The inner edges of the
boulders along East Wall are
facing the heliacal setting of
Scorpius. This astronomical event
coincides with the second rainy
season. All these evidence suggest
that among the ancient Taino
people, Scorpius could represent
the celestial snake Iguanaboina
and that East Wall is the realm of
Iguanaboina, Scorpius and the
second rainy season.
6. West Wall: The most impressive
feature on this wall is that wrapped
body figures are limited to the
West Wall. These two images
suggest a depiction of the
deceased. Based on these rock art
motifs, it seems that for the ancient
builders at Jacana the West Wall is
the realm of the Lord of the
Coabai. The rock art motives on
West Wall are aligned toward the
sunrise during the Summer
Solstice on June 21, but were
carved on the side of the ball-court
where the sun sets. This
astronomical evidence points out
that West Wall at Jacana is a place
facing the Sun where the dead go,
and the region where the sun sets.
The ethnological evidence among
the Tukano (Reichel-Dolmatoff,
1971:25) supported this idea.
 Finally, we advocate the view from a Aveny, Anthony, F.
shift from traditional rock art studies 1980 Skywatchers of Ancient Mexico.
toward an astronomical orientation. As a The University of Texas Press,
result, this study expects to provide a Austin, TX.
more comprehensive approach to rock art
studies. One major conclusion which can Barnhart, Edwin, L.
be drawn from the material presented in 1994 Electronic document,
this paper is the correlation between http://www.mayaexploration.org/pdf/
astronomical data and rock art at Jacana. milkyway.pdf
The universe of the ancient Taino was not
made-up of a random series of beliefs, but Bingham, Ann.
rather an orderly system of thoughts in 2004 South and Mesoamerican
harmony with astronomical events and Mythology A to Z. Chelsea House.
seasonal cycles. Culture Diff., New York, NY.

Acknowledgments. I am highly indebted 2013 The days of heliacal setting and

to Christopher T. Espenshade and Rising of a star. Electronic
Johannes Loubster from New South Document,
Associates for affording me the data to http://www.culturediff.org/english/hel
write this paper. Also, this paper benefited iacalrising1.php
from thorough peer reviews by Michael
Cinquino and Michele Hayward from Curtis, Farabee, William.
Panamerican Consultants Inc. A special 1967 The Central Arawaks. The
thanks to my colleague, Harry Mariner, University Museum Anthropological
for his valuable suggestions. Also, the Publications IX, University of
help provided by Gustavo Diaz, Pennsylvania.
laboratorio de geoarqueologia,
Universidad Nacional de Tucuman, Espenshade, Christopher T.
Argentina was greatly appreciated. In 2013 Late Pottery of the Jácana Site
addition, thanks to Isaac A. Rosario (PO-29), South-Central Puerto Rico.
Santiago, Project Engineer US Army Caribbean Connections. A
Corps of Engineers, for his guidance Publication of the Field Research
during our visit to the site. Centre 3(1):10-29.

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Angel Rodriguez
Department of Social Science
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto
Rico
Ponce, Puerto Rico
(angel_rodriguez@pucpr.edu)

20